Hair drying apparatus



March 20, 1956 R. c. STANLEY HAIR DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sneets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 19, 1954 w\ 1T 3Q @1 A RUFUS C STANLEY IN V EN TOR.

March 20, 1956 R c, STANLEY 2,738,592

HAIR DRYING APPARATUS Rurus (1. STANLEY T R.

B $1M Ww nite 2,738,592 Patented Mar. 20, 1956 HAIR DRYING APPARATUS VRufus C. Stanley, Waynesville, N. C., assignor to George C. West,Waynesville, and Manley J. West, Durham,

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in methods andapparatus for drying hair, and is especially designed as an improvementin apparatus for dry ing womens hair after washing, and various otherwet tings,

The present invention contemplates the application of a principle notheretofore applied to the hair drying operation, i. e., the extractionof residual moisture from the hair by means of partial vacuum and warmdry air, which reduces the drying time to a fraction of the timerequired by the usual method of evaporation of residual moisture bycirculation or recirculation of air at surrounding temperatures, orheated. The improved process and apparatus covered by this specificationprovides means of creating partial vacuum within a drying hood, andmeans of supplying warm dry air to the drying hood in a manner toachieve positive creation of the partial vacuum. The several objects ofthis invention are:

1. Broadly, to provide apparatus comprising a hair drying unitadjustably mounted on and supported by a portable floor stand; means ofwarming and drying air and delivering the conditioned air to the hood;means of creating partial vacuum within the hood; eifective means ofmaintaining the partial vacuum within the hood about the patrons headduring the hair drying operation, and means of reactivating thedehydrating agent.

2. To provide an air conditioning unit composed of a metal casecontaining a heating element, air filter, dehydrating agent andconditioned air chamber, through which air flows in the order namedbefore passing through conditioned air conduit to the air duct containedwithin the drying hood.

3. To provide a hair dryer hood so designed and con structed as topermit the installation and operation of a vacuumizing unit, and whichmay be rendered adequately airtight, without discomfort to the patron,to maintain a partial vacuum within the hood about the patrons headduring the drying operation, and to provide a vacuumizing unit capableof producing sufficient suction from within the airtight hood to createand maintain a partial vacuum Within the hood about the patrons headduring the hair drying operation, and means of actuating the vacuumizingunit by compressed air through an air nozzle. The same, or even agreater, suction may be created by other means, as steam or water at thenozzle, or a suction fan within the suction chamber, but the presentconstruction assumes the use of compressed air as being the mostdesirable under ordinary conditions.

4. To provide a raised convex bead, sunken concave groove, or othersuitable means, throughout the exterior perimeter of the hood adjacentto its lower opening, the purpose of said means being to engage theseparate closure members in such manner as to maintain the closuremembers securely in operating position.

5. To provide a circular closure member of elastic sheet rubber or othersuitable material, fashioned with 2. rolled edge about its outerperimeter, and an elliptic opening centered on the center of the closuremember, the

interior periphery of the closure member being fashioned throughout witha hollow rolled edge which is provided with a draw string or othersuitable closing means. The purpose of the circular closure member is tofit over the lower opening of the dryer hood, the rolled edge beingengaged by the raised bead or other means about the perimeter of thedryer hood, thereby closing the lower opening of the hood except for theelliptic opening which encircles the patrons head, and is closed to asnug fit just below the hair line by means of the draw string, therebyproviding a relatively airtight enclosure within the dryer hood aboutthe patrons head.

6. To provide an air duct, preferably integral with the hood, andextending throughout the inner periphery of the hood adjacent to itslower opening and fashioned with a plurality of air vents spacedequi-distant throughout its length, an opening being provided in theshell of the hood for the installation of an air conduit by means ofwhich conditioned air is delivered to the air duct.

7. To provide a circular closure member of sheet metal I or othersuitable material which, when attached over the lower end of the hood,closes the hood opening adequately airtight to produce and maintainsuction and air flow through the air conditioning unit, and the hairdrying unit during the operation of reactivating the dehydrating agent.

8. To provide hair drying apparatus of the type stated which, despiteits many desirable characteristics, is nevertheless capable ofmanufacture at relatively. low cost; is of simple design andconstruction, and which is readily adaptable to multi-unit installation,as numerous units may be operated from one air conditioner and one aircompressor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details ofconstruction and combination of parts, hereinafter more fully describedand pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is an isometric projection of the assembled apparatus withportions broken away. Air compressor not shown.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal detail view taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fractional detail view taken on the line 33, Fig. 1, smallportions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is an elastic circular closure member.

Fig. 5 is a metal circular closure member.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the air nozzle, and

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like reference numerals designatinglike parts in all views.

Hair drying unit 40 is vertically and horizontally adjustable on, andsupported by, portable floor stand 27, and is further adjustabie athinge 25. Air conditioning unit 45 is also mounted on stand 2.7. Airnozzle 35 is installed in hood 10 by means of brackets 13. Air lead pipe12 and flexible air hose 12A join at valve 11; air hose 12A leads to aircompressor, not shown. Flexible dry air tube 26 is connected betweenhood 10 and air conditioning unit 45 which contains any type heatingelement 34, heating chamber 31, metal mesh retainers 32, aluminum woolor other heat resistant permanent filter medium air filter 3t), Tel-Talesilica gel or other highly adsorptive dehydrating agent 29 andconditioned air chamber 2%. An ultra violet ray lamp or other airpurifying means may be installed in air chamber 28 at the option of theuser. Elastic sheet rubber, or other material, closure members 23 fitover lower end of hood 10, and is maintained in operating position byits rolled edge being engaged by raised bead 22 or other means whichencircles hood 19 throughout its perimeter. Closure member 23 isfashioned with an elliptical opening whichfits over the patrons head andis closed to a snug fit just below the hair line by means of hollowrolled edge. 21' and draw string 20, thereby creating a relativelyairtight enclosure within the dryer hood about the patrons head andhair.

The air supply capacity of both the flexible air tube 26 and air duct 18is much greater than the combined discharge capacity of vents 19, whichhas the effect of making air duct 18 an air reservoir. The dischargecapacity of throat 21 is slightly greater than the intake capacity ofthroat 14. The discharge capactiy of throat 14 is much greater than thecombined inlet capacity of vents 19. By this arrangement of air supplyand discharge, the air flow through air conditioning unit 45 and hairdrying unit 40 is sharply constricted at vents 19. The rate of airdischarge through throat 14 and suction chamber 16 being greatly inexcess of air supply through vents 19 results in a pull from vents 19through hood 10 to throat 14, which lowers the air pressure within hood10 to a point below atmospheric pressure, thereby creating partialvacuum within hood it? about the patrons head.

Compressed air, being turned into nozzle 35 by means ofvalve 11, isemitted from nozzle 35 in a cone shaped, high velocity air jet whichfans out under shoulder 15 of suction chamber 16, creating a relativelyhigh degree of vacuum within chamber 16. Air from the airtight enclosuresurrounding the patrons head rushes into suction chamber 16 with greatvelocityto fill the vacuum created by the air jet. The resulting suctioninside of dryer hood 19 sets up an air flow from air intake opening 33in air conditioning unit 45 to and through flexible air tube 26 to airduct 18 from which it is emitted through vents 19 to fill the partialvacuum created within the hood about the patrons head by the excessivesuction in chamber 16.

Vents 19 direct an even distribution of warm dry air to the patronshead, while suction through chamber 16 circulates the air through thehair. enter hood .9 through vents 19 at 85 degrees F. and 6% relativehumidity; this air, so conditioned, will extract moisture from the hairvery rapidly without the presence of vacuum. The partial vacuum, withoutthe presence of conditioned air, will extract moisture from the hairmore rapidly than will be conditioned air alone. The combined action ofthe partial vacuum and conditioned air is much more rapid than that ofthe partial vacuum or the conditioned air separately; wherein residesthe aforementioned principle not heretofore applied to the hair dryingoperation.

Heating element 34 is the two heat type; the low heat maintainingoperating temperature within air chamber 28;

the high heat being capable of raising the temperature to the pointrequired to reactivate the dehydrating agent 29, silica gel or otherhighly adsorptive material. Sheet metal closure member 42 is positionedover the lower opening of hood 10 by flange 43, and maintained inoperating position by spring clips 44 being engaged by raised head 22 orother means, rendering hood 10 sufficiently airtight for thereactivating operation.

Nozzle 35 shown at Figs. 6 and 7 was designed for use in thisvacuumizing unit. it is essentially the same as the familiar garden hosenozzle with T member 36 added to provide a compressed air connection.Core 33 is drilled and tapped to receive threaded screw 46 for precisionadjustment of the annular orifice to obtain the Assuming that air willproper air jet. Pins 39 are for aligning core 38 with the barrel. Flaredends 47 and head'48 cooperate to provide an air jet of the proper sizeand shape. Screw threaded extension 37 provides a compressed air lineconnection.

The foregoing embodying the best mode contemplated by me of carrying outthe invention, it is understood that certain changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritof the invention as claimed.

\Vhatl claim as'my invention is:

1. In apparatusof the character described, a hair drying unit incombination with air air conditioning unit; said hair drying unitcomprising a hood fashioned with a large openng at its lower end and asmaller discharge opening at its upper end, a raised bead encircling theouter perimeter of said hood adjacent to said large end, an air ductwith vents extending throughout the inner periphery of said hoodadjacent to said large end, a vacuumizing unit attached'to said hood atsaid small opening, said small opening forming a connecting passagebetween said hood and said' vacuumizing unit suction chamber, an airnozzle providedwith a compressed air supply lead pipe installed withinsaid hood and positioned on the, center line of said vhood and saidsuction chamber adjacent to said small opening; said hood, incooperation with a sanitary elastic closure member forms an enclosurefor the patronshead and hair, said hair drying unit adjustably mountedon and supported by a portable floor stand; said air conditioning unitcomprising a metal case, a heating. unit, a heating chamber, an airfilter, metal open mesh separators, dehydrating agent, conditioned airchamber, flexible air tube and a sheet metal closure member attachableover large opening of hood during reactivating operation.

2. In apparatus of the character described, a hair drying unit incombination with an air conditioning unit; said hair drying unitcomprising a hood fashioned with a large opening at its lower end and asmaller discharge opening at its upper end, a raised bead encircling theouter perimeter of said hood adjacent to said large end, an air ductwith vents extending throughout the inner periphery of said hoodadjacent to said large end, a vacunmizing unit attachedto said hood atsaid small opening, said small opening forming a connecting passagebetween said hood and said vacuumizing unit suction chamber, an airnozzle provided with a compressed air supply lead pipe installed Withinsaid hood and positioned on the center line of said hood and. saidsuction chamber adjacent to said small opening; said hood, incooperation with a sanitary elastic closure member forms an enclosurefor the patrons headand hair, and means for adjustably positioning saidhair drying unit over patrons head; said air conditioning unitcomprising a metal case, a heating unit, a heating. chamber, an airfilter, metal open mesh separators, dehydrating agent, conditioned airchamber, flexible air tube and a sheet metal closure member attachableover largeopening of hood during re-activating operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS859,164 Zunner July 2, 1907 1,046,304 Josse'et al Dec. 3, 1912 2,221,822Tays Nov. 19, 1940 2,246,767 Tays June 24, 1941 2,527,745 Lawrence Oct.31, 1950

